Transition

Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

August 8 Green Energy News

Opinion:

“Solar Power on the Rise: Rooftop Solar, Large-Scale PV, CSP, and the Solar Revolution” Shining. Soaring. Skyrocketing. Solar is so exciting, we’re running out of adjectives. America’s solar power revolution is the subject of a new UCS report. It’s a story worth celebrating. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

Science and Technology:

A group of chemical and mechanical engineers wants to harness the power of the sun to fuel cars, airplanes and semi-trucks. If the energy from sunlight can be harnessed and boosted in a single spot, it can be used to break chemical bonds and create chemical feedstocks for fuel. [PBS NewsHour]

World:

A full-scale tidal power generator aimed at showing the potential for renewable energy has been unveiled in Wales. Power generated by the 400 kW demonstration device – to be installed within a matter of weeks – will be fed into the National Grid and used to power nearby homes. [BBC News]

An Australian Energy Market Operator report says Australia is facing an energy glut. It raises serious questions about the viability of existing coal-fired power stations, but might also result in more pressure on the Federal Government to reduce the Renewable Energy Target. [Yahoo Singapore News]

Iranian officials have announced the country’s investment in solar and wind renewable energy will result in 500 MW of electricity generated by the wind farms and solar plants sent into the country’s national grid by March 2015. [SmartMeters]

A set of community councils is launching a major community consultation exercise on the regeneration proposals for the Scottish North Carrick region over the next three months, which includes a community wind farm. [allmediascotland.com]

UK renewable power producer Infinis said it will wait for the outcome of the referendum on independence before building two wind farms, the 43 MW A’Chruach and 55 MW Galawhistle projects in Scotland. The vote is on September 18. [Recharge]

US:

Governor Peter Shumlin marked the completion this week of the South Ridge Solar facility, the first 500-kilowatt solar net-metering project in Vermont. The solar farm provides power to Middlebury College as part of the school’s commitment to become carbon neutral. [Rutland Herald]

Customers of Vermont Gas Systems are now burning renewable natural gas as a small mix of their overall natural gas consumption, the company announced Thursday. Biomethane is coming from a landfill operator in Quebec and piped into the transmission system. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Currently, Milwaukee utility We Energies pays about 9.2¢ per kWh for electricity generated from biogas digestors. In a pending rate filing is a proposal, they plan to cut the buyback rate for new customer-sited bioenergy projects down to 4.24¢ per kWh in 2016. [Biomass Magazine]

Distributed wind is the use of smaller, on-site wind turbines for a home or business power supply. Established wind companies are now bringing distributed wind to the masses by providing a turbine leasing solution to farmers. [RenewablesBiz]